Tote system for facilitating retail pick-up orders

ABSTRACT

A tote and tote system providing for more efficient retail order pick-ups is disclosed. In certain embodiments, a tote may comprise a bottom panel for supporting one or more retail items, a rear panel and a front panel, wherein the front panel comprises an opening for accessing the one or more retail items of the tote, a first and a second side panel, and one or more bale arms positioned across a top of the tote, wherein the one or more bale arms each comprise a substantially horizontal portion extending from the first side panel to the second side panel, such that the one or more bale arms are operable to support another tote stacked on top of the tote.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of and is acontinuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/904,429filed on Jun. 17, 2020, which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods forfulfilling orders for items sold by retailers, and more particularly, toa novel tote and tote system for facilitating retail pick-up orders.

It is common for retailers of goods and services to both own and/oroperate one or more “brick-and-mortar” retail stores and/or physicalfacilities where customers may browse, purchase, and/or pick up items atthe site, and also provide an online website or other service forreceiving orders from customers remotely. Today's consumers demandconvenience, speed, selection, and high-quality from their retailersregardless of whether such consumers are shopping online or are shoppingin a brick-and-mortar establishment. Thus, in order to maximize customersatisfaction, a retailer must meet consumer expectations on theseattributes when fulfilling items to a customer via customer pick-up.

A common method of facilitating customer pick-ups is by preparing retailitems in a staging area, such as a warehouse, and storing them incontainers, often referred to as “totes.” Prior totes are typicallyenclosed storage containers, and may comprise lids for accessing theretail items inside of the totes. Retail items in traditional totes aretypically stored in stacked columns to efficiently use space in astaging area or other fulfillment location until the customer arrives topick up the order. However, providing efficient pick-ups for thecustomer may prove difficult when customer arrival times areunpredictable. Retail items sitting on totes awaiting customer arrivalsare “down-stacked” as additional items are loaded in the totes forpick-up. Thus, unless a customer's order is in a tote that sits at thetop of a stacked column, un-stacking of totes may be required to get aspecific tote or totes containing a customer's retail order. After acustomer's order is retrieved and the down-stacked tote is extracted,the entire tote system must be re-stacked. Such down-stacking,un-stacking, and re-stacking leads to inefficiencies in fulfillingretail order pick-ups.

One method to avoid down-stacking may be to place the totes in perfectsequence based on customer pick-up times. However, a single delayed oroff-scheduled customer arrival time can cause the down-stacking issuesdescribed above. Another method may be to use multi-level static shelvesso that no down-stacking is needed to access a specific tote for thearrived customer. However, space in a warehouse or fulfillment area isoften at a premium, and static shelves take up the same amount of spaceeven when underutilized—that is, when fewer totes are required at agiven time. This inflexibility may negatively impact space utilizationwithin a staging area, warehouse, or retail location. Worse, when demandis higher than projected or more customers are arriving than expected ata given time, there may be an insufficient number of shelves to holdtotes such that the retail pick-up flow is disrupted.

Furthermore, traditional totes are typically not clear or transparent.Without opening the lid, which would be difficult for any tote not atthe very top of a column of totes, operators cannot visually inspectwhich totes contain retail items and which totes do not. An operator fora retail fulfillment location may be expected to lift a heavy tote, forexample, up to 50 lbs, on the job, but without any visibility into thecontents of a given tote, the weight of the tote may come as a surpriseand the operator may sustain an injury or experience discomfort if theoperator's body posture is not appropriate for the weight range of thetote.

Additionally, traditional enclosed totes may result in the degradationof retail items, for example, fresh produce that produce ethylene (e.g.,bananas, avocados, peaches, etc.). Fresh produce items that produceethylene may ripen more rapidly as ethylene gas is released and staystrapped inside the traditional totes. This could negatively impactproduct quality, especially in the summer where warmer temperaturesspeed up the production of ethylene gas, thus accelerating the ripeningprocess of the produce items. Additionally, refrigerated or frozenretail items that sit on totes longer than expected in traditional totesystems may experience degradation of product quality.

Traditional totes also do not provide for “nesting” of totes on top ofone another when the lids of such traditional totes are open. Thus,these traditional tote systems do not allow for reverse logistics duringretrievals—that is, the down-stacking of empty return totes. The abilityto nest totes within one another may allow for more efficient returnsback to a warehouse or other staging area where additional totes areneeded. Valuable space resources and personnel resources may beoptimized by nestable totes.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally relates to a tote system forfacilitating more efficient retail order pick-ups.

In certain embodiments, a tote may comprise a bottom panel forsupporting one or more retail items, a rear panel and a front panel,wherein the front panel may comprise an opening for accessing the one ormore retail items of the tote, a first and a second side panel, and oneor more bale arms positioned across a top of the tote, wherein the oneor more bale arms may each comprise a substantially horizontal portionextending from the first side panel to the second side panel, such thatthe one or more bale arms are operable to support another tote stackedon top of the tote.

In certain embodiments, the tote may further comprise a substantiallytrapezoidal shape. In certain embodiments, the first side panel and thesecond side panel may be angled such that each of the first side paneland the second side panel form an obtuse angle with the bottom panel.

In certain embodiments, the one or more bale arms may be rotatable suchthat the one or more bale arms are not positioned across the top of thetote. In certain embodiments, each bale arm may comprise a first end anda second end positioned at opposing ends from one another. In certainembodiments, the second end may be wider than the first end. In certainembodiments, the first end may be angled more than 90 degrees from thehorizontal portion of the bale arm, and the second end may be angledsubstantially perpendicular to the horizontal portion of the bale arm.

In certain embodiments, the tote may further comprise a first bale armand a second bale arm, and wherein the first end of the first bale armand the second end of the second bale arm are positioned along the firstside panel, and wherein the second end of the first bale arm and thefirst end of the second bale arm are positioned along the second sidepanel. In certain embodiments, the first side panel and the second sidepanel of the tote may each comprise a hand hold.

In certain embodiments, a tote system may comprise two or more totes,including a first tote and a second tote, wherein each of the two ormore totes may comprise one or more bale arms. In certain embodiments,the first tote and the second tote may be aligned substantially adjacentto one another, and at least one bale arm of the first tote mayinterlock with at least one bale arm of the second tote.

In certain embodiments, the two or more totes may each comprise a firstbale arm and a second bale arm. In certain embodiments, the first balearm and the second bale arm may each comprise a first end and a secondend, wherein the second end is wider than the first end. In certainembodiments, the first end of the first bale arm of the first tote mayinterlock with the second end of the first bale arm of the second tote.In certain embodiments, the second end of the second bale arm of thefirst tote may interlock with the first end of the second bale arm ofthe second tote.

In certain embodiments, a tote system may further comprise a third totestacked substantially on top of the one or more bale arms of the firsttote and a fourth tote stacked substantially on top of the one or morebale arms of the second tote, and at least one bale arm of the thirdtote may interlock with at least one bale arm of the fourth tote. Incertain embodiments, the tote system further comprises a pallet, whereinthe two or more totes are positioned on the pallet.

In certain embodiments, a method for facilitating retail pick-up ordersmay comprise stacking two or more totes in a first column of totes viaone or more bale arms of the two or more totes, wherein each of the twoor more totes in the first column may have an opening such that anoperator may place retail items while the two or more totes are stacked,stacking two or more totes in a second column of totes via one or morebale arms of the two or more totes, wherein each of the two or moretotes in the second column may have an opening such that an operator mayplace retail items while the two or more totes are stacked, positioningthe first and second column of totes adjacent to one another,interlocking one or more bale arms of a first tote in the first columnwith one or more bale arms of a second tote in the second column,wherein the second tote is immediately adjacent to the first tote;placing retail items in at least one of the two or more totescorresponding to one or more retail orders. In certain embodiments, eachof the one or more bale arms may be positioned across a top of each toteof the two or more totes, such that a stacked tote may be substantiallysupported by the one or more bale arms of a tote immediately below thestacked tote.

In certain embodiments, the method for facilitating retail pick-uporders may further comprise removing one or more retail items from atleast one of the two or more totes via the opening, wherein the one ormore retail items correspond to one or more retail orders for customerpick-up. In certain embodiments, the method for facilitating retailpick-up orders may further comprise removing one or more retail itemsfrom the at least one of the two or more totes such that the at leastone of the two or more totes is an empty tote, rotating the one or morebale arms of the empty tote such that the bale arms are not positionedacross the top of the empty tote, and nesting the empty tote in anotherempty tote. In certain embodiments, the first column of totes and thesecond column of totes may each comprise six stacked totes.

In certain embodiments, the method for facilitating retail pick-uporders may further comprise stacking totes two or more totes in a thirdcolumn of totes via one or more bale arms of the two or more totes, andinterlocking the one or more bale arms of the second tote in the secondcolumn with one or more bale arms of a third tote in the third column oftotes, wherein the third tote is immediately adjacent to the secondtote. In certain embodiments, at least one of the two or more totes maycomprise corrugated plastic.

In certain embodiments, a tote may comprising a bottom panel forsupporting one or more retail items, a rear panel and a front panel,wherein the front panel comprises an opening for accessing the one ormore retail items of the tote; a first and a second side panel; and oneor more bale arms positioned across a top of the tote, wherein the oneor more bale arms extend from the first side panel to the second sidepanel, such that the one or more bale arms are operable to supportanother tote stacked on top of the tote.

In certain embodiments, the first side panel and the second side paneleach comprise one or more slots along a top edge of the first and secondside panels. In certain embodiments, the one or more bale arms arerotatable from a first position to a second position, wherein in thefirst position, the one or more bale arms are positioned in the one ormore slots. In certain embodiments, in the second position, the one ormore bale arms are not positioned across the top of the tote. In certainembodiments, the tote may further comprise a nest stop positioned on atleast one of a side panel and a rear panel of the tote.

In certain embodiments, the tote may further comprise a lid. In certainembodiments, the lid may comprise comprises a first lid panel and asecond lid panel, and wherein the first lid panel may be coupled to thesecond lid panel via one or more connectors. In certain embodiments, thelid may be positioned in an open position and a closed position, andwherein in a closed position, the first and second lid panels may besupported by at least one bale arm and the rear panel. In certainembodiments, the lid may comprise a key connector. In certainembodiments, the bottom panel may comprise a key slot. In certainembodiments, the lid may comprise an opening and at least one of thefirst and second side panels may comprise a protrusion for coupling tothe opening of the lid.

In certain embodiments, the one or more bale arms may be rotatablebetween a first position and a second position, and wherein the firstposition allows another tote to be stacked on top of the tote, andwherein the second position allows another tote to be nested within thetote. In certain embodiments, the tote may comprise a latch coupled tothe rear panel, wherein the latch is operable to secure at least onebale arm against the rear panel.

In certain embodiments, a tote system, may comprise two or more totes,wherein each of the two or more totes comprises one or more bale armsand a front panel comprising an opening for accessing one or more retailitems, wherein the one or more bale arms are rotatable between a firstposition and a second position, and wherein the two or more totescomprise a first tote and a second tote, and wherein the second tote isstacked on top of the one or more bale arms of the first tote when theone or more bale arms of the first tote are in a first position.

In certain embodiments, the tote system may further comprise a thirdtote stacked on top of the one or more bale arms of the second tote whenthe one or more bale arms of the second tote are in a first position. Incertain embodiments, the tote system may further comprise a pallet,wherein the two or more totes are positioned on the pallet.

In certain embodiments, a method of facilitating retail pick-up ordersmay comprise stacking two or more totes in a first column of totes viaone or more bale arms of the two or more totes, wherein each of the twoor more totes in the first column has an opening such that an operatormay place retail items in each of the two or more totes while the two ormore totes are stacked, and wherein the one or more bale arms arerotatable between a first position and a second position, and placingretail items in at least one of the two or more totes corresponding toone or more retail orders for fulfillment.

In certain embodiments, the method of facilitating pick-up orders mayfurther comprise removing one or more retail items from at least one ofthe two or more totes via the opening, wherein the one or more retailitems correspond to one or more retail orders for customer pick-up. Incertain embodiments, the method of facilitating pick-up orders mayfurther comprise removing one or more retail items from the at least oneof the two or more totes such that the at least one of the two or moretotes is an empty tote, rotating the one or more bale arms of the emptytote from a first position to a second position, and nesting the emptytote in another empty tote. In certain embodiments, the method offacilitating pick-up orders may further comprise stacking two or moretotes in a second column of totes via one or more bale arms of the twoor more totes and positioning a second column of two or more totesadjacent to the first column of two or more totes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsfeatures and advantages, reference is now made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a tote according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a top view of a tote according to certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 1C is a front view of a tote according to certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 1D is a rear view of a tote according to certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 1E is a first side view of a tote according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 1F is a second side view of a tote according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a front view of a bale arm of a tote according to certainembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a first side view of a bale arm of a tote according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2C is a second side view of a bale arm of a tote according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2D is a rear view of a bale arm of a tote according to certainembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a side-by-side tote configuration with pre-interlocking balearms according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a side-by-side tote configuration with interlocking bale armsaccording to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a representation of a stacked tote configuration according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a representation of a tote system according to certainembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a side-by-side tote configuration with interlocking bale armsaccording to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a representation of a nested tote configuration according tocertain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A is an isometric view of a tote according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a front view of a tote according to certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 8C is a side view of a tote according to certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 8D is a bottom view of a tote according to certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is an isometric view of a tote according to certain embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a front view of a tote according to certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 9C is a side view of a tote according to certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9D is a corner view of a tote according to certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific example embodiments have been shown in thefigures and are herein described in more detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the description of specific exampleembodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed, but on the contrary, this disclosure is to cover allmodifications and equivalents as illustrated, in part, by the appendedclaims.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described indetail herein. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actualimplementation are described in this specification. It will of course beappreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment,numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system related andbusiness-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthe present disclosure. Furthermore, in no way should the followingexamples be read to limit, or define, the scope of the disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, a tote 100 is shown. A tote 100 may becomprised of any material suitable to store retail goods, includingambient and chilled retail goods. As would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, the material selected should be durableenough to withstand the stacking arrangement of totes 100 as describedin more detail below with respect to FIG. 3. The material selectedshould be lightweight so as to be easy to lift and transport but also besubstantially rigid to provide support for the retail goods stored inthe tote 100. Furthermore, the material should be impact resistant suchthat damage to the tote 100 is minimized if a tote 100 is dropped orotherwise impacted. In certain embodiments, tote 100 may be comprised ofplastic, for example, corrugated plastic or molded plastic. Corrugatedplastic may be more flexible or agile than molded plastic becausedimensions of corrugated plastic totes may be easily changed inproduction without building a new mold. Thus, corrugated plastic may bemore easily adapted to fit the needs of a given retail space orfulfillment area, for example, if changes need to be made based on thesize or volume of the corrugated plastic totes. The corrugated plasticmay be comprised of solid polypropylene. In other embodiments, tote 100may be comprised of other types of plastic, for example, tote 100 may becomprised of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylics,polyethylene (PE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP),& polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), or anyother type of plastic. Tote 100 may be pressed or formed from a singlecongruous piece of corrugated plastic, with or without the use of anyadhesives. In other embodiments, tote 100 may be comprised of multiplepieces or layers of corrugated plastic formed together.

Tote 100 may be substantially rectangular or trapezoidal. In certainembodiments, tote 100 may comprise one or more flaps 110. In certainembodiments, the flaps 110 of tote 100 may be folded over and attachedto the body of tote 100 using sonic welds. Welding the flaps may helpkeep bale arms 200 a and 200 b (discussed in more detail below) inplace, while also increasing the longevity of the tote 100. In certainembodiments, flaps 110 of tote 100 may be secured using an adhesive (notshown). However, sonic welds may be more appropriate to withstand theforce of the bale arms 200 as they are flipped inwards and outwards, orwhen the totes 100 are stacked or nested (discussed in more detailbelow). Furthermore, sonic welds may provide more stability to the tote100, especially while being transported or otherwise handled by anoperator.

As shown in FIG. 1A, tote 100 may comprise a bottom panel 120, sidepanels 125 a and 125 b, and a rear panel 130. Side panels 125 may eachcomprise a hand hold 140 to facilitate easy transport of the tote 100.Tote 100 may further comprise a front panel 135 that is substantiallycomprised of an opening or window for inserting and removing goods fromthe tote 100. Tote 100 may further comprise one or more bale arms 200,for example, bale arms 200 a and 200 b, described in further detail withrespect to FIGS. 2A-2D. One or more bale arms 200 may be partiallyenclosed by the tote 100, as shown in FIG. 1A. In certain embodiments,one or more bale arms 200 may be partially enclosed between the body oftote 100 and the flaps 110. In certain embodiments, each tote 100 maycomprise a first bale arm 200 a and a second bale arm 200 b. A portionof bale arms 200 may be positioned across the top of tote 100 andextending between side panels 125, such that another tote 100, may bepositioned on or stack on top of first bale arm 200 a and second balearm 200 b. As described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 3, the“stacked” nature of one or more totes 100 may provide for morestructural stability of the tote system.

FIG. 1B is an overhead view of tote 100. Bottom panel 120 of tote 100may support the retail goods in tote 100. In certain embodiments, bottompanel 120 may comprise a thicker material than other parts of the tote100. For example, bottom panel may have an extra layer of corrugatedplastic (not shown) to strengthen the bottom panel 120 and hold theweight of the retail items without deformation to the bottom panel 120or the tote 100. An extra layer of corrugated plastic may be attached tobottom panel 120 by an adhesive or may be welded. The extra layer ofcorrugated plastic may be substantially smooth such that retail itemsplaced on bottom panel 120 are not damaged during transportation orstorage. The extra layer of corrugated plastic may comprise asubstantially smooth surface so that bottom panel 120 is easier tosanitize.

Side panels 125 and rear panel 130 may substantially enclose the retailgoods stored in tote 100 such that when subjected to movement, retailgoods do not fall out of the tote 100. In certain embodiments, lengthL_(t) along the top of tote 100 may be approximately 24 inches and widthW_(t) along the top of tote 100 may be approximately 13 inches. However,as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any lengthL_(t) or width W_(t) may be appropriate in keeping with the designfeatures and benefits of the present disclosure. For example, in certainembodiments, length L_(t) of tote 100 may be 10-40 inches, and widthW_(t) of tote 100 may be 5-25 inches. The length L_(t) and width W_(t)may be varied or selected based on one or more, for example, the size,weight, shape, or type of retail goods stored in tote 100. For example,for large or bulky retail items, a tote 100 with larger length and widthdimensions may be required. Unlike traditional totes, tote 100 may notcomprise a lid or panel covering the top of the tote 100. The lack oflid or cover may allow an operator to visually inspect what retail itemsare located in the tote 100 before lifting or moving the tote 100, suchthat the operator may use the appropriate body motion or posture beforelifting or moving the tote 100.

FIG. 1C is a front view of a tote 100 and FIG. 1D is a rear view of atote 100. In certain embodiments, tote 100 may have a height H ofapproximately 12.75 inches. As would be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art, any height H may be appropriate in keeping with thedesign features and benefits of the present disclosure. For example, incertain embodiments, height H of tote 100 may be 5-25 inches. The heightH may be varied or selected based on one or more factors, for example,the size, weight, shape, or type of retail goods stored in tote 100. Forexample, for tall items, a tote 100 with a larger height dimension maybe required. In certain embodiments, tote 100 may be substantiallytrapezoidal in shape. In certain embodiments, front panel 135 and rearpanel 130 may have a width W_(t) along a top edge 132 and a width W_(b)along a bottom edge 131, where W_(t) may be longer than W_(b). Forexample, in certain embodiments where width W_(t) along top edge 132 isapproximately 13 inches, width W_(b) along bottom edge 131 may beapproximately 11 inches. Additionally, side edge 133 of rear panel 130and front panel 135 may form an obtuse angle Φ₁ with bottom edge 131that is slightly more than 90 degrees, for example, approximately 94degrees. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, Φ₁,W_(t), and W_(b) may be varied in keeping with aspects of the presentdisclosure. For example, in certain embodiments, Φ₁ may be 95, 100, or105 degrees. In certain embodiments, the substantially trapezoidal shapeof tote 100 may provide for stackable and nestable features of one ormore totes 100, as described in more detail below with respect to FIGS.4 and 7, respectively.

Front panel 135 may substantially comprise an opening 137 or window forplacing and removing retail items from the tote 100. Additionally, theopening or window 137 of front panel 135 may allow an operator tovisually inspect what retail items are in the tote 100 without removingthe tote 100 from a stacked configuration, as described in more detailbelow. The opening or window 137 of front panel 135 may further allow anoperator to determine the requisite amount of force and correct bodyposture for lifting the tote 100 based on the items contained with thetote 100. As shown in FIG. 1D, rear panel 130 may be a solid panel andmay not be comprised of an opening or window 137. As would be understoodby one of ordinary skill in the art, in certain embodiments, rear panel130 may similarly comprise an opening or window 137 for placing orremoving retail items from the tote 100, similar to front panel 135 (notshown).

The dimensions of tote 100 including height H and thickness T may beselected based on one or more factors such as the size, weight, shape,or type of the goods stored in tote 100. In certain embodiments, bottompanel 120 may have a thickness T of approximately 2.25 inches. As wouldbe understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any thickness T maybe appropriate in keeping with the design features and benefits of thepresent disclosure. For example, in certain embodiments, thickness T oftote 100 may be 0.5 inch to 5 inches. The thickness T may be varied orselected based on one or more factors, for example, the size, weight,shape, or type of retail goods stored in tote 100. For example, forheavy or bulky retail items, a tote 100 with a larger thickness T may berequired. In certain embodiments, the dimensions of tote 100 may beselected in order to hold a minimum weight of retail items. For example,dimensions of tote 100 may be selected such that tote 100 may be able tohold 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 pounds of retail items without showing anysigns of wear and tear on the tote 100.

The specific dimensions of tote 100 including height H and thickness T,may be varied or selected based on the desired height H′ of the openingof front panel 135. For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, a thickness T 2.25inches of bottom panel 120 and a height H of 12.75 of front panel 135inches renders a height H′ of 10.5 inches of the opening 137 of tote100. Height H′ may be selected such that there is sufficient clearancefor the retail items that are to be place in tote 100. As would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, height H′ may be variedbased on one or more factors, for example, the size, shape, or type ofthe retail items to be stored in tote 100. In certain embodiments,height H′ may be anywhere from 5-25 inches.

FIGS. 1C and 1D are side views of tote 100. As discussed above, tote 100may be substantially trapezoidal in shape. In certain embodiments, sidepanels 125 may have a length L_(t) along a top edge 127 and a lengthL_(b) along a bottom edge 126, where L_(t) may be longer than L_(b). Forexample, in certain embodiments where length L_(t) along top edge 127 isapproximately 24 inches, length L_(b) along bottom edge 126 may beapproximately 21 inches. Additionally, side edge 132 of side panel 125may form an obtuse angle Φ₂ with bottom edge 126 of approximately 97degrees. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, Φ₂,L_(t), and L_(b) may be varied in keeping with aspects of the presentdisclosure. For example, in certain embodiments, Φ₂ may be 95, 100, or105 degrees. In certain embodiments, the obtuse angle 12 and trapezoidalshape of tote 100 may provide for stackable and nestable features of oneor more totes 100, as described in more detail below with respect toFIGS. 4 and 7, respectively.

In certain embodiments, tote 100 may comprise hand holds 140 at or nearthe top of side panels 125. For example, in certain embodiments, handholds 125 may be located approximately 1-1.5 inches from the top of sidepanels 125. Hand holds 140 may facilitate easier transport of totes 100.Tote 100 may further comprise a label (not shown). A label (not shown)may comprise a barcode, stockkeeping unit number, universal product code(UPC), QR code, or any other identifier used to track or record the tote100. For example, an employee of a retail store could scan the label oftote 100 to ensure that the tote 100 is in the correct location.

FIG. 2A is a front view of a bale arm 200 in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, one ormore bale arms 200 may be welded in a tote 100. Bale arms 200 may bewelded such that the bale arms 200 and tote 100 comprise one unitarystructure. In certain embodiments, each bale arm 200 may weighapproximately 0.5 pounds. However, as would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, the weight of bale arm 200 may be varied orselected based on one or more factors, such as the size of the tote 100or the size, weight, shape, or type of retail items to be stored in tote100. In certain embodiments, bale arm 200 may be comprised of ¼ inchpre-galvanized steel wire. As would be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art, in other embodiments, other sizes, gauges, or materialof wire may be appropriate. For example, in certain embodiments, balearm 200 may be comprised of aluminum, stainless steel, or any metal orplastic. In certain embodiments, other materials and gauges that providesufficient durability and strength to hold the weight of a tote 100 maybe used.

Bale arm 200 may be comprised of a swing bar 210, a first end 220, and asecond end 230. Swing bar 210 may be substantially horizontal and may bethe primary portion of bale arm 200 used to support a tote 100 stackedon top of swing bar 210, as discussed in more detail with respect toFIG. 3. Swing bar 210 may comprise a base portion 211 and inclinedportions 212. Inclined portions 212 of swing bar 210 may comprisearcuate portions 214 between swing bar 210 and first end 220 and swingbar 210 and second end 230, respectively. In certain embodiments,arcuate portions 214 may provide for an angle θ₂ of approximately 92degrees between base portion 211 and inclined portions 212, as well asbetween swing bar 210 and first end 220 and between swing bar 210 andsecond end 230. Thus, in certain embodiments, inclined portions 212 maybe substantially vertical and substantially perpendicular to baseportion 211. In certain embodiments, the length L₁ of the bale arm 200may be approximately 15 inches. In certain embodiments, the length L₂ ofswing bar 210, including base portion 211 and inclined portions 212, maybe approximately 12 inches. In certain embodiments, the length L₃ ofbase portion 211 of swing bar 210 may be approximately 11 inches. Aswould be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, in certainembodiments, lengths L₁, L₂, and L₃ may be varied based one or morefactors, for example the width W_(t) of the tote 100.

Swing bar 210 and first end 220, and separately, swing bar 210 andsecond end 230, may together each comprise a “U-shape” such that swingbar 210 and first end 220 and swing bar 210 and second end 230 eachstraddle a side wall 125 of tote 100. First end 220 may comprise anupper bar 221 and one or more side portions 222. Second end 230 maysimilarly comprise an upper bar 231 and one or more side portions 232.In certain embodiments, the length of upper bar 221 of first end 220 andupper bar 231 of second end 230 may be varied or selected based on thethickness of side panel 125. In other embodiments, the length of upperbar 221 of first end 220 and upper bar 231 of second end 230 may beselected such that there is a gap or space between first end 220 andsecond end 230 and side panel 125, respectively, so that an employee mayhold or pick up the tote 100 using the first end 220 and 230. In certainembodiments, the length of upper bar 221 of first end 220 and upper bar231 of second end 230 may be approximately 0.35 inches.

Second end 230 may further comprise an arcuate portion 234 between upperbar 231 and a side portion 232. In certain embodiments, arcuate portion234 may provide for a substantially perpendicular angle between upperbar 231 and side portion 232, such that side portion 232 of second end230 is substantially parallel to side panel 125 of tote 100. First end220 may further comprise an arcuate portion 224 between upper bar 221and side portion 222. In certain embodiments, arcuate portion 224 mayprovide for an angle θ₁ of approximately 105 degrees between upper bar221 and side portion 222, such that side portion 222 of first end 220 isangled away from the side panel 125 of tote 100. In certain embodiments,side portion 222 of first end 220 may form an obtuse angle with theupper bar 221. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in theart, the angles of arcuate portions 224 and 234 may be varied accordingto certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a side view of first end 220 of bale arm 200 in accordancewith certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In certainembodiments, first end 220 may be a narrower end of bale arm 200compared to second end 230. As discussed with respect to FIG. 2A, firstend 220 may comprise one or more side portions 222, for example, sideportions 222 a and 222 b. One or more side portions 222 may each furthercomprise an angled portion 226 and vertical portion 227. Angled portions226 of side portion 222 may be form an obtuse angle θ₃ of approximately145 degrees from vertical portions 227 of side portion 222. As would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill, angle θ₃ may be varied based on oneor more factors in keeping with aspects of the present disclosure. Incertain embodiments, first end 220 may comprise a first side portion 222a and a second side portion 222 b. First side portion 222 a may comprisea first angled portion 226 a and a first vertical portion 227 a. Secondside portion 222 b may comprise a second angled portion 226 b and asecond vertical portion 227 b. In certain embodiments, first angledportion 226 a and second angled portion 226 b may be different lengthssuch that angled portion 226 a is longer than angled portion 226 b. Incertain embodiments, first vertical portion 227 a and second verticalportion 227 b may be different lengths such that second vertical portion227 b is longer than first vertical portion 227. For example, in certainembodiments, first angled portion 226 a may be approximately 1.2 inchesand first vertical portion 227 a may be 0.8 inches, and in certainembodiments, second angled portion 227 a may be approximately 0.8 inchesand second vertical portion 227 b may be approximately 1.2 inches.

First end 220 may further comprise a bottom bar 225 disposedsubstantially horizontally in between side portions 222, and morespecifically, between vertical portions 227 of side portions 222. Bottombar may be coupled to vertical portions 227 via arcuate portions 228.Similar to arcuate portions 214 of swing bar 210, arcuate portions 228may provide substantially perpendicular angles between vertical portions227 and bottom bar 225, such that bottom bar 225 and upper bar 221 aresubstantially parallel. In certain embodiments, the length L₄ of firstend 220 may be approximately 2.8 inches, and the length L₅ of bottom bar225 of first end 220 may be approximately 1.8 inches.

FIG. 2C is a side view of second end 230 of bale arm 200 in accordancewith certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In certainembodiments, second end 230 may be a wider end of bale arm 200 comparedto first end 220. As discussed with respect to FIG. 2A, second end 230may comprise one or more side portions 232. In certain embodiments,second end 230 may comprise a first side portion 232 a and a second sideportion 232 b. second end 230 may further comprise a bottom bar 235disposed substantially horizontally in between side portions 232. Sideportions 232 may be substantially vertical such that bottom bar 235 issubstantially perpendicular to side portions 232. Bottom bar 235 may becoupled to side portions 232 via arcuate portions 238. Similar toarcuate portions 228, arcuate portions 238 may provide substantiallyperpendicular angles between side portions 232 and bottom bar 235. Incertain embodiments, the length L₆ of second end 230 may beapproximately 4.25 inches, and the length L₇ of bottom bar 235 of secondend 230 may be approximately 3.25 inches.

Thus, in certain embodiments, second end 230 may be a wide end a firstend 220 may be a narrow end, such that the second end 230 is wider thanthe first end 220. Furthermore, because first end 220 may be angled 105degrees away from swing bar 210, a first end 220 may be configured tointerlock with a second end 230, as described in more detail withrespect to FIG. 3.

FIG. 2D is a rear view of bale arm 200 in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure. From the rear view, swing bar 210of bale arm 200 may be partially or substantially below the top of rearpanel 130 of tote 100, such that swing bar 210 is not visible. Thus, incertain embodiments, only first end 220 and second end 230 of bale arm200 may be visible from the rear view. As depicted in FIG. 2D, first end220 may comprise a top bar 221 and a side bar 222. First end 220 mayfurther comprise an arcuate portion 224 providing a substantiallyperpendicular angle between top bar 221 and side bar 222. In certainembodiments, side bar 222 may be approximately 1.2 inches and top bar221 may be approximately 2 inches. Similarly, second end 230 maycomprise a top bar 231 and a side bar 232. Second end 230 may furthercomprise an arcuate portion 234 for providing a substantiallyperpendicular angle between top bar 231 and side bar 232. In certainembodiments, the visible portions of second end 230 and first end 220may be roughly equal. For example, in certain embodiments, side bar 232may be approximately 1.2 inches and top bar 231 may be approximately 2inches.

In certain embodiments, the unformed wire length of bale arm 200 may beapproximately 35 inches and may weigh approximately 0.5 pounds. As wouldbe understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the weight andoverall wire length of bale arm 200 may be varied according to the needsof the tote 100.

FIG. 3A depicts a side-by-side tote configuration with pre-interlockingbale arms in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, a first tote 100 a may beplaced or disposed substantially adjacent to and aligned with a secondtote 100 b. In certain embodiments, a first tote 100 a and a second tote100 b may be positioned such that a first bale arm 200 a of first tote100 a is substantially aligned with a first bale arm 200 a of a secondtote 100 b, and a second bale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a issubstantially aligned with second bale arm 200 b of second tote 100 b.More specifically, the first end 220 of first bale arm 200 a of thefirst tote 100 a is substantially aligned with the second end 230 offirst bale arm 200 a of the second tote 100 b. Further, the second end230 of second bale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a is substantiallyaligned with the first end 220 of second bale arm 200 b of second tote100 b.

FIG. 3B depicts a side-by-side tote configuration with interlocking balearms in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, a first tote 100 a may be placed ordisposed sufficiently close to a second tote 100 b such that the firstend 220 of first bale arm 200 a of the first tote 100 a overlaps andinterlocks with the second end 230 of first bale arm 200 a of the secondtote 100 b. More specifically, for example, the first end 220 of firstbale arm 200 a of first tote 100 a may be threaded through the secondend 230 of first bale arm 200 a of second tote 100 b, such that at leasta portion of first end 220 of first bale arm 200 a of first tote 100 ais positioned in between side panel 125 a of second tote 100 b and atleast a portion of second end 230 of first bale arm 200 a of second tote100 b. Similarly, in the interlocked position, at least a portion ofsecond end 230 of first bale arm 100 a of second tote 100 b may bepositioned between side panel 125 b of first tote 100 a and at least aportion of first end 220 of first bale arm 200 a of first tote 100 a.

In a similar manner, as shown in FIG. 3B, the second end 230 of secondbale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a may overlap and interlock with thefirst end 220 of second bale arm 200 b of second tote 100 b. Morespecifically, for example, the first end 220 of second bale arm 200 b ofsecond tote 100 b may be threaded through the second end 230 of secondbale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a, such that at least a portion offirst end 220 of second bale arm 200 b of second tote 100 b ispositioned between side panel 125 b of first tote 100 a and at least aportion of second end 230 of second bale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a.Similarly, in the interlocked position, at least a portion of second end230 of second bale arm 200 b of first tote 100 a may be positionedbetween side panel 125 a of second tote 100 b and at least a portion offirst end 220 of second bale arm 200 b of second tote 100 b. As would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the interlocking of balearms 200 between one or more totes 100 may be implemented in other ways,in keeping with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a stacked tote configuration 400 of one or more totes100, for example, a first tote 100 a stacked on top of a second tote 100b, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. Firsttote 100 a may be stacked on second tote 100 b by placing the bottompanel 120 of tote 100 a on bale arms 200 of the tote 100 b directlybelow it. First tote 100 a may be stacked on second tote 100 b such thatthe bottom panel 120 of tote 100 a fits on the swing bars 210 (notvisible) of bale arms 200 of second tote 100 b and fits snugly withinthe side panels 125, front panel 135, and rear panel 130 of second tote100 b. The stacked configuration 400 may provide for increased stabilityof both totes 100 a and 100 b.

In general, the stacked configuration 400 of one or more totes 100 mayprovide for increased stability of the one or more totes 100, forexample, in a tote system 500 as described below with respect to FIG. 5.For example, in a busy warehouse or other retail staging area forfulfilment of pick-up orders, a tote 100 may be knocked overinadvertently by an employee or by a machine, causing delays in thefulfillment of retail orders. The stackable nature of the one or moretotes 100 may reduce the likelihood that a tote will be knocked over ordisplaced, thus, improving the efficiency of fulfilling retail pick-uporders. Additionally, the stackable nature of one or more totes 100 mayreduce the footprint required for the staging and storage of goods in awarehouse or staging area for retail fulfillment of pick-up orders. Withthe increased popularity of curbside pick-up and other types of customerpick-up orders, space in staging areas can be at a premium. Thestackable nature of one or more totes 100 may allow for efficient use offloor space in a staging area, allowing for more orders to be processedand prepared in a shorter amount of time.

FIG. 5 depicts a tote system 500 in accordance with certain embodimentsof the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, tote system 500 maycomprise one or more totes 100, for example, totes 100 a, 100 b, 100 c,100 d, 100 e, 100 f, 100 g, 100 h, 100 i, 100 j, 100 k, 1001, 100 m, 100n, 100 o, 100 p, 100 q, and 100 r. As would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, any number of totes 100, for example, totes100 a, 100 b, 100 c, . . . 100 z, may be used in accordance with aspectsof the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, tote system 500 maycomprise 18 totes 100 in a 6×3 configuration as depicted in FIG. 5. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5, tote system 500 may comprise three columns510 each comprising six stacked totes 100. However, in certainembodiments, other tote configurations may be appropriate. For example,a tote system 500 may comprise 4 totes in a 2×2 configuration, 12 totesin a 3×4 configuration, or 25 totes in a 5×5 configuration. As would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any number of suitableconfigurations may be selected based on a variety of factors, forexample, the number of retail orders and the number of totes needed perretail order.

Each tote 100 may be stacked on one another by placing the bottom panel120 of each tote 100 on bale arms 200 of the tote 100 directly below it,as described above with respect to FIG. 4. For example, tote 100 a maybe stacked on tote 100 b by placing the bottom panel 120 of tote 100 aon the swing bars 210 of bale arms 200 of tote 100 b. Totes 100, forexample, totes 100 a, 100 b, 100 c, 100 d, 100 e, and 100 f, may bestacked on top of one another such that there are, for example, sixtotes 100 stacked in a single column 310, of totes 100, for example in afirst column 510 a. Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. 3, totes 100 g, 100h, 100 i, 100 j, 100 k, and 1001 may be stacked on top of one another ina second column 510 b, and totes 100 m, 100 n, 100 o, 100 p, 100 q, and100 r may be stacked on top of one another in a third column 510 c.

In certain embodiments, three columns 510 may be placed side-by-sidewith an equal number of totes 100 in each column 510. For example,columns 510 a, 510 b, and 510 c each comprising six totes 100 may beplaced side-by-side. In certain embodiments, columns 510 a, 510 b, and510 c may be placed sufficiently close to each other that totes 100 mayinterlock one or more adjacent totes 100. For example, first column 510a and second column 510 b may be positioned sufficiently close togetherso that the totes 100 a, 100 b, 100 c, 100 d, 100 e, and 100 f of firstcolumn 510 a are substantially aligned with totes 100 g, 100 h, 100 i,100 j, 100 k, and 1001 of second column 510 b. Furthermore, each tote100 of column 510 a may interlock with each corresponding tote 100 ofcolumn 510 b. For example, tote 100 a may interlock with tote 100 g byway of first end 220 of tote 101 g overlapped or interlocked with secondend 230 of tote 101 a, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Thus,any movement or displacement of tote 100 a may be suppressed by theinterlocking arms of tote 100 g. Similarly, movement of any totes 100 infirst column 510 a may be suppressed by the interlocking arms of thecorresponding totes in second column 510 b. The interlockingconfiguration of totes 100 in column 510 a with totes 100 in column 510b may provide for increased stability of the tote system 500.

Similarly, a third column 510 c may be positioned and aligned withsecond column 510 b (and thus, also aligned with first column 510 a)such that totes 100 m, 100 n, 100 o, 100 p, 100 q, and 100 r of thirdcolumn 510 c are substantially aligned totes 101 g, 100 h, 100 i, 100 j,100 k, and 1001 of second column 510 b. Furthermore, each tote 100 ofthird column 510 c may also interlock with each corresponding andadjacent tote 100 of second column 510 b. For example, tote 100 m mayinterlock with 100 g by way of second end 230 of tote 100 m overlappedwith first end 220 of tote 101 g, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 3A and3B. Thus, any movement or displacement of tote 100 g may be suppressedby the interlocking arms of tote 100 m. Similarly, movement of any totes100 in column 510 b may be suppressed by the interlocking arms of thecorresponding totes in column 510 c. The interlocking configuration oftotes 100 in column 510 a with totes 100 in column 510 b may provide forincreased stability of the tote system 500.

The stackable and modular nature of one or more totes 100 may allowretail orders to be organized more efficiently and grouped together forfaster retrieval. For example, one or more retail orders may be storedin one or more totes 100. The one or more totes 100 corresponding to agiven retail order may be grouped in the same stack, for example, column510 a. Thus, an operator may be able to quickly identify the retailitems for a given order based on the grouping of totes 100. As would beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a different grouping oftotes 100 may correspond to a given retail order, for example, a row oftotes 100. For example, based on one or more factors such as the size ornumber of items in a retail order, totes 100 a, 100 g, and 100 m maycorrespond to a retail order. In certain embodiments, the entire totesystem 500 may correspond to a retail order.

As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any numberof tote systems 500 may be used in accordance with aspects of thepresent disclosure. For example, a warehouse or retail order fulfillmentarea may comprise 1, 5, 10, 20, or 50 tote systems 500. Furthermore, incertain embodiments, one or more tote systems 500 may each be placed ona pallet 550 for easy of transport such that an operator may be able tomove the one or more tote systems 500 efficiently using a fork lift orother machinery. In certain embodiments, one or more tote systems 500may fit on a single pallet 550. In certain embodiments, a pallet 550 maybe 40″ wide by 48″ long. In certain embodiments, pallet 550 may allowtwo tote systems 500 or 36 totes 100 to fit thereon (not shown). Thestackable and modular nature of totes 100 may provide flexibility inboth the number of totes 100 in a given tote system 500, as well as thenumber of totes 100 on a pallet 550.

FIG. 6 depicts a side-by-side tote configuration 600 with interlockingbale arms in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Similar to FIG. 3B, totes 100 a and 100 b may be placed ordisposed sufficiently close together such that the first end 220 of balearm 200 of a first tote 100 a overlaps and interlocks with second end230 of bale arm 200 of the second tote 100 b. However, in certainembodiments, bale arms 200 of both totes 100 may be rotated such thateach bale arm 200 is substantially in front of and to the rear of tote100, rather than across the top of tote 100. For example, as shown inFIG. 6, a first bale arm 200 a may be rotated (e.g., 90 degrees) suchthat the first bale arm 200 a sits across front panel 135 of tote 100,and a second bale arm 200 b may be rotated such that the second bale arm200 b sits across rear panel 130 of tote 100 (shown more clearly in FIG.7). As described below in more detail with respect to FIG. 7, rotationof the bale arms 200 may allow for a “nested” configuration when retailgoods are not being stored or held in the totes 100.

FIG. 7 depicts a nested configuration 700 of one or more totes 100, forexample, totes 100 a, 100 b, 100 c, 100 d, and 100 e, in accordance withcertain aspects of the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, a“nested” configuration may be useful when the totes 100 are empty orotherwise not being used for storing or staging retail items for pickup.For example, a nested configuration of one or more totes 100 may be usedwhen there is a surplus of totes 100 needed for fulfilling retail ordersat a given time. Storing one or more totes 100 in a nested configurationmay retain valuable space in a warehouse, staging area, or other retailspace.

As described above, the trapezoidal shape of totes 100 may in certainembodiments, allow a first tote 100 a to be nestable in a second tote100 b, such that the bottom panel 120 of the first tote 100 a sitswithin the second tote 100 b. One or more totes 100 may be nested withinone another in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, 100 a may be nested in tote100 b, tote 100 b may be nested in 100 c, tote 100 c may be nested in100 d, and tote 100 d may be nested in 100 e. In certain embodiments,the distance between bottom panels 120 of respective totes 100 may beapproximately 5 inches or less in a nested configuration. However, aswould be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the distancebetween totes may vary based on the size and dimensions of totes 100.The number of nestable totes 100 may vary based on one or more factors,for example, the amount of available space in a retail fulfillment area,the number of retail orders needed to be fulfilled, the number of retailitems needed to be staged, etc. In certain embodiments, any number ofnested totes may be appropriate, for example, 5, 10, 15, or 20 totes 100may be nested. In certain embodiments, the nestable totes 100 may beplaced on a pallet 550 (not shown) for easy transport by a fork lift orother machinery.

FIG. 8 depicts a tote 800 in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Similar to tote 100, tote 800 may comprise a plasticmaterial, such as any type of plastic listed above. In certainembodiments, tote 800 may comprise a molded plastic. In certainembodiments, molded plastic may be preferable to corrugated plasticbecause molded plastic may be easier to clean, due to the flat surfaceof molded plastic. Tote 800 may have similar dimensions to tote 100, andmay comprise a substantially trapezoidal shape. For example, as shownmore clearly in FIG. 8C, in certain embodiments, tote 800 may have alength L_(t) along the top edge of the tote 800 of approximately 14inches and a length L_(b) along a bottom edge of the tote 800 may beapproximately 11 inches. Further, as shown more clearly in FIG. 8B, tote800 may have a width W_(t) along a top edge of the tote 800 ofapproximately 23 inches and a width W_(b) along a bottom edge of thetote 800 of approximately 20 inches. Tote 800 may have a height H ofapproximately 11 inches and a bottom thickness T of approximately 1inch. As discussed above, any one or more of these dimensions may bevaried or selected based on one or more factors, for example, the size,weight, shape, or type of retail goods to be stored, in keeping withaspects of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 8A, similar to tote 100, tote 800 may comprise a bottompanel 820, side panels 825 a and 825 b, rear panel 830, and front panel835, which may substantially comprise and opening or window 837 forinserting and removing goods from tote 800. In certain embodiments, tote800 may comprise one or more hand holds 840, each aligned along the topedge of side panels 825. In certain embodiments, hand holds 840 may bereplaced by other handle designs, for example, a handle that thatprotrudes from the side panels 825 (not shown), rather than an openinglike the hand holds 840 shown in FIG. 8A. For example, handles of tote800 may comprise one or more surfaces, edges, or additional material,e.g., corrugated plastic, protruding from the side panels 825 (notshown). The bottom edge of the handles may be straight, curved, orrounded for ease of handling (not shown). As would be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art, as discussed above with regard to tote100, various types of handle designs may be used with tote 800 and maybe selected based on one or more factors, for example, ergonomicconsiderations when lifting heavy totes or storage space requirements ofvarious handle options.

As shown in FIG. 8A, tote 800 may further comprise a lid 850. Lid 850may comprise a first lid panel 851 a and a second lid panel 851 b. Incertain embodiments, lid panels 851 may comprise one or more keyconnectors 855 for facilitating the coupling of lid panels 851 to oneanother, for example, first lid panel 851 a to second lid panel 851 b.In certain embodiments, first lid panel 851 a may comprise keyconnectors 855 and second panel 851 b may comprise key openings 855 b.Key connectors 855 may couple to key slots 856 to attach first lid panel851 a to second lid panel 851 b. As would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, key connectors 855 and key slots 856 may haveother shapes or structures, e.g., circular or elliptical shapes ratherthan rectangular, such that key connectors 855 and key slots 856 coupleto one another. In certain embodiments, lid 850 may only comprise asingle lid panel 851 and may not comprise any key connectors 855 or keyslots 856 (not shown). In certain embodiments, lid 850 may be attachedor coupled to tote 800 via one or more hinges 852. For example, one ormore hinges 852 may be aligned across a top edge of side panels 825 forcoupling the lid 850 or lid panels 851 to the tote 800. In certainembodiments, lid 850 may be configured in an open or closed position.For example, lid 850 may be in a closed position when it is desirable tostack one or more totes 800 on top of one another, for example, likeshown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Lid 850 may be in an open position when it isdesirable to nest one or more totes 800 in one another, for example,like shown in FIG. 7.

In certain embodiments, lid 850 may further comprise one or moreopenings 857. Openings 857 may correspond to and align with one or moreprotrusions 827 on side panels 825 when lid 850 is moved to an openposition, such that lid 850 may couple to or attach to side panels 825.In an open position, openings 857 and protrusion 827 may secure lid 850to one or more side panels 825 such that lid 850 is not displaced orotherwise obstructive to an operator when the tote 800 is in transport.Additionally, openings 857 and protrusions 827 may keep lid 850 fromfanning out while one or more totes 800 are in a nested configuration(not shown), i.e., so that the lid 850 does not become an obstructionwhen nesting the totes 800 within one another. As would be understood byone of ordinary skill in the art, openings 857 on lid 850 andprotrusions 827 on side panel 825 may take other shapes, for example,circular, oval, or rectangular (not shown) such that lid 850 may becoupled to and secured against side panel 825. Additionally, protrusion827 may serve as a “nest stop” such that a tote 800 is prevented fromsliding all the way within another tote 800. For example, in a nestedconfiguration, the bottom edges of protrusion 827 of a first tote 800may come into contact with the top edge of side panel 825 of a secondtote 800 such that the first tote 800 cannot nest any further into thesecond tote 800 (not shown).

Lid 850 may further comprise one or more key connectors 860 as shown inFIG. 8A, for example key connectors 860 a and 860 b. In certainembodiments, key connectors 857 may be structurally similarly to keyconnectors 855 of lid 850. Rather than couple to key slots 856 of lid850, however, key connectors 857 may be used to couple to one or morekey slots 856 of bottom panel 820, as shown more clearly in FIG. 8D.Coupling one or more key connectors 855 on lid 850 to one or more keyslots 856 on bottom panel 820 may provide increased stability andstructural support when one or more totes 800 are in a stackedconfiguration (not shown). In certain embodiments, four key connectors855 may be located near the corners of lid 850, and four key slots 856may be located near the corners of bottom panel 820 (not shown).However, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, anynumber of key connectors 855 and key slots 856 may be used and in avariety of configurations to stack one or more totes 800 on top of oneanother while providing the desired structural stability. Bottom panel820 may further comprise one or more grooves 880 on the bottom surfaceof bottom panel 820 to provide improved friction along bottom panel 820.For example, in certain embodiments, tote 800 may be placed on a movingconveyor (not shown) for transporting tote 800 to or from a location,e.g., a fulfillment center.

Tote 800 may further comprise a bale arm 875. In certain embodiments,tote 800 may comprise two or more bale arms 875 (not shown). In certainembodiments, as shown in FIG. 8A, it may only be necessary to have asingle bale arm 875 because lid 850 may be positioned on top of bale arm875 and rear panel 830 in a closed position. Bale arm 875 may bepartially enclosed within the body of tote 800. For example, the ends ofbale arm 875 may be molded within the plastic of the tote 800. Incertain embodiments, bale arm 875 may be positioned adjacent to oraligned against front panel 835 without any gap such that bale arm 875does not obstruct another tote 800 from being nested within the tote 800when the lid 850 is in an open position (not shown).

FIG. 9 depicts a tote 900 in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Similar to totes 100 and 800 as discussed above,tote 900 may comprise a plastic material, such as corrugated plastic, orfor example, other types of plastic listed above. Tote 900 may similarlycomprise a substantially trapezoidal shape and may have similardimensions to totes 100 and 800. For example, as shown more clearly inFIG. 9C, in certain embodiments, tote 900 may have a length L_(t) alongthe top edge of the tote 900 of approximately 23 inches and a lengthL_(b) along a bottom edge of the tote 900 may be approximately 21inches. Further, as shown more clearly in FIG. 9B, tote 900 may have awidth W_(t) along a top edge of the tote 900 of approximately 14 inchesand a width W_(b) along a bottom edge of the tote 900 of approximately11 inches. Tote 800 may have a height H of approximately 12 inches and abottom thickness T of approximately 1 inch. As discussed above, any oneor more of these dimensions may be varied or selected based on one ormore factors, for example, the size, weight, shape, or type of retailgoods to be stored, in keeping with aspects of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 9A, similar to totes 100 and 800, tote 900 may comprisea bottom panel 920, side panels 925 a and 925 b, rear panel 930, andfront panel 935, which may substantially comprise and opening or window937 for inserting and removing goods from tote 900. In certainembodiments, tote 900 may comprise one or more hand holds 940, eachaligned along the top edge of side panels 925. In certain embodiments,hand holds 940 may be replaced by other handle designs, for example, ahandle that that protrudes from the side panels 925 (not shown), ratherthan an opening like the hand holds 940 shown in FIG. 9A. For example,handles of tote 900 may comprise one or more surfaces, edges, oradditional material, e.g., corrugated plastic, protruding from the sidepanels 925 (not shown). The bottom edge of the handles may be straight,curved, or rounded for ease of handling (not shown).

Tote 900 may further comprise one or more bale arms 975, for example,bale arms 975 a and 975 b. In certain embodiments, bale arms 975 may bemolded within the molded plastic of tote 900 such that it is secured toand part of the tote 900. Similar to bale arms 200 discussed above withrespect to tote 100, bale arms 975 of tote 900 may swivel or rotatebetween a first position and a second position. In certain embodiments,bale arms 975 in a first position may represent a stackable position,such that another tote 900 may be placed or stacked on top of bale arms975. Tote 900 may further comprise one or more slots 927, for example,slots 927 a, 927 b, 927 c, and 927 d, along a top edge of side panels925 to receive bale arms 975 in a stackable position. In certainembodiments, bale arms 975 in a second position may represent a nestableposition, such that the bale arms 975 do not obstruct another tote 900to be nested within another tote 900.

One or more totes 900 may be positioned in a stacked configuration,similar to totes 100 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, bale arms 975of tote 900 may not have the interlocking feature, as shown most clearlyin FIGS. 3 and 5, as tote 100. The lack of interlocking bale arms 975 ina stacked configuration may provide time gains when re-positioning orretrieving down-stacked totes for fulfillment. In certain embodiments,bale arms 975 may be used with tote 100 and bale arms 200 may be usedwith tote 900. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in theart, when selecting the more appropriate bale arm 200 or 975, thebenefits of the improved structural stability provided by theinterlocking feature of bale arm 200 should be weighed against thebenefits of efficiency in positioning and re-positioning totes 100 or900 with bale arms 975 that do not have an interlocking feature.

FIG. 9D shows tote 900 with second bale arm 975 b in a nestableposition. In a nestable position, bale arm 975 may be coupled to one ormore latches 980, for example latch 980 a and 980 b. In certainembodiments, latches 980 may be molded as part of the molded plastic oftote 900. In other embodiments, latches 980 may be coupled to rear panel930, for example, via an adhesive. Latches 980 may secure one or morebale arms, for example, bale arm 975 b against the rear panel 930 oftote 900 such that bale arm 975 b does not fan out or otherwise obstructanother tote 900 (not shown) from being nested within the tote 900. Incertain embodiments, in a nestable position of tote 900, first bale arm975 a may be positioned on top of and flush with front panel 935 (notshown) such that bale arm 975 a does not fan out when nested or obstructanother tote 900 (not shown) from being nested within the tote 900.

In certain embodiments, tote 900 may further comprise one or more neststops 955, for example, nest stops 955 a and 955 c shown in FIG. 9A. Incertain embodiments, nest stops 955 may be molded as part of the moldedplastic of tote 900. In other embodiments, nest stops 955 may be coupledto the tote 900, for example, via an adhesive. One or more nest stops955 may prevent a tote 900 from sliding all the way within another tote900 in a nested configuration (not shown). For example, in a nestedconfiguration, the bottom edges of nest stops 955 of a first tote 900may come into contact with the top edge of side panel 925 of a secondtote 900 such that the first tote 900 cannot nest any further into thesecond tote 900 (not shown). Additionally, the bottom edges of latches980 may also serve as nest stops in a similar manner.

Therefore, the present disclosure is well adapted to attain the ends andadvantages mentioned, as well as those that are inherent therein. Theparticular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as thepresent disclosure may be modified and practiced in different butequivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having thebenefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations areintended to the details of construction or design herein shown, otherthan as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that theparticular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered ormodified and all such variations are considered within the scope andspirit of the present disclosure. While compositions and methods aredescribed in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” variouscomponents or steps, the compositions and methods can also “consistessentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. Allnumbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever anumerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, anynumber and any included range falling within the range is specificallydisclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “fromabout a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or,equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to beunderstood to set forth every number and range encompassed within thebroader range of values. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain,ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by thepatentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in theclaims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the elementthat it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word orterm in this specification and one or more patent or other documentsthat may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that areconsistent with this specification should be adopted.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tote, comprising: a bottom panel for supportingone or more retail items; a rear panel and a front panel, wherein thefront panel comprises an opening for accessing the one or more retailitems of the tote; a first and a second side panel; and one or more balearms positioned across a top of the tote, wherein the one or more balearms extend from the first side panel to the second side panel, suchthat the one or more bale arms are operable to support another totestacked on top of the tote.
 2. The tote of claim 1, wherein the firstside panel and the second side panel each comprise one or more slotsalong a top edge of the first and second side panels.
 3. The tote ofclaim 2, wherein the one or more bale arms are rotatable from a firstposition to a second position, wherein in the first position, the one ormore bale arms are positioned in the one or more slots.
 4. The tote ofclaim 3, wherein in the second position, the one or more bale arms arenot positioned across the top of the tote.
 5. The tote of claim 1,wherein the tote further comprises a nest stop positioned on a at leastone of a side panel and a rear panel of the tote.
 6. The tote of claim1, wherein the tote further comprises a lid.
 7. The tote of claim 6,wherein the lid comprises a first lid panel and a second lid panel, andwherein the first lid panel may be coupled to the second lid panel viaone or more connectors.
 8. The tote of claim 7, wherein the lid may bepositioned in an open position and a closed position, and wherein in aclosed position, the first and second lid panels are supported by atleast one bale arm and the rear panel.
 9. The tote of claim 6, whereinthe lid comprises a key connector.
 10. The tote of claim 9, wherein thebottom panel comprises a key slot.
 11. The tote of claim 6, wherein thelid comprises an opening and at least one of the first and second sidepanels comprises a protrusion for coupling to the opening of the lid.12. The tote of claim 1, wherein the one or more bale arms are rotatablebetween a first position and a second position, and wherein the firstposition allows another tote to be stacked on top of the tote, andwherein the second position allows another tote to be nested within thetote.
 13. The tote of claim 1, further comprising a latch coupled to therear panel, wherein the latch is operable to secure at least one balearm against the rear panel.
 14. A tote system, comprising: two or moretotes, wherein each of the two or more totes comprises one or more balearms and a front panel comprising an opening for accessing one or moreretail items; wherein the one or more bale arms are rotatable between afirst position and a second position; wherein the two or more totescomprise a first tote and a second tote, and wherein the second tote isstacked on top of the one or more bale arms of the first tote when theone or more bale arms of the first tote are in a first position.
 15. Thetote system of claim 14, further comprising: a third tote stacked on topof the one or more bale arms of the second tote when the one or morebale arms of the second tote are in a first position.
 16. The totesystem of claim 14, further comprising a pallet, wherein the two or moretotes are positioned on the pallet.
 17. A method of facilitating retailpick-up orders, comprising: stacking two or more totes in a first columnof totes via one or more bale arms of the two or more totes, whereineach of the two or more totes in the first column has an opening suchthat an operator may place retail items in each of the two or more toteswhile the two or more totes are stacked, and wherein the one or morebale arms are rotatable between a first position and a second position;and placing retail items in at least one of the two or more totescorresponding to one or more retail orders for fulfillment.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising: removing one or more retailitems from at least one of the two or more totes via the opening,wherein the one or more retail items correspond to one or more retailorders for customer pick-up.
 19. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: removing one or more retail items from the at least one ofthe two or more totes such that the at least one of the two or moretotes is an empty tote; rotating the one or more bale arms of the emptytote from a first position to a second position; and nesting the emptytote in another empty tote.
 20. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: stacking two or more totes in a second column of totes viaone or more bale arms of the two or more totes; and positioning a secondcolumn of two or more totes adjacent to the first column of two or moretotes.